Gold and silver plated jewellery were developed to be cheaper versions of items that would otherwise be solid metal. And though plating is commonly just a thin layer of gold or silver applied over a base metal, in appearance it appears very much the same as solid pieces.
Gold filled jewellery became popular in the early 20th century and increased in use throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Gold filled is a far better alternative to gold plated, due to its durability.
Precious metals, especially gold and silver, are probably the most commonly in jewellery making. But there are many other materials widely used, such as copper, bronze and even aluminum. Then there are modern materials such as Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and the Copper and Bronze clays. The list keeps growing in our modern times.
